Determination of the Extent of Student Flexibility in Choosing Class Schedules.

Sworder, Steve

In spring 1984, a study was conducted in the Saddleback Community College District (SCCD) to assess student flexibility in choosing class schedules and to measure the importance of employment and child care responsibilities in the course selection process. The study population consisted of all students who completed class registration for spring 1984, broken down into eight enrollment categories determined by full-/part-time status and time and location of courses taken. In-person and telephone interviews were conducted with a total sample of 442 students. Study findings included the following: (1) 91% of the full-time students expressed a willingness to replace at least one desired class on their study list with another class; (2) only 43% of the part-time evening students attending at North Campus were willing to allow changes to their schedules; (3) the flexibility of full-time students was not significantly different from part-time students when the number of units in their schedule which they were willing to replace was considered; (4) faced with an inability to enroll in a desired class section, a student was more likely to take a different course at the desired time than find an open section of that course; and (5) the scheduling flexibility of students for whom work or child care responsibilities did not affect the time and place of their course differed little from those who had such constraints. The study report includes a literature review, recommendations for class schedule planning and student counseling, and the survey instrument. (RO)